Oludamisi Ojo

There was pandemonium at Kajola Community in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State as youths in their hundreds mobilized to burn the police station in the area over police recklessness, leading to the death of three persons including a community chief (baale).

The angry mobs, amongst other grievances against the police, stormed the Police Divisional Headquarters in Kajola for killing their indigenes at the police checkpoints in the area, along Lagos/Benin Expressways on Saturday evening.

They dumped the three corpses at the Police Divisional Headquarters, Kajola, chanting a series of protest songs to register their grievances, and declared that they do not want to see police in the community again.

The victims, David Olowofeyekun, Gbenga Abayomi and Kola Akinduro, who was the Head of Korede Village, were on a motorcycle and heading home from their farms.

It was learned that the community narrated that the police officers in the community were found extorting and harassing the residents of the areas at the checkpoint despite the order by the Commissioner of Police to dismantle all checkpoints in the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Oyeyemi Oyediran, had ordered that all police roadblocks and checkpoints be dismantled immediately he was transferred to the state a few days after the New Year celebration.

An eyewitness, Funmi Olowogboye, said the police stopped the deceased at the checkpoint on Saturday evening and while trying to halt an oncoming Hilux van, the driver maneuvered to dodge the police and ran into the motorcycle.

Olowogboye lamented that the Hilux driver crushed the three victims on the motorcycle where they were parking at the instruction of the police officers, who wanted to collect money from them; and they died on the spot.

He, alongside other sources who spoke with journalists at the police station yesterday, identified a notorious police officer, popularly called Major, as the rig-leader of the extortion squad on the highway and community at large.

They demanded that the police officer, Major, be transferred out of the community, revealing that he has spent over 17 years in the area without transfer due to the atrocities he committed in the area to make more money.

The community leader, Chief Oloruntobi Maiyegun recounted that he had to spring into action the moment he heard that the people were mobilizing to burn the police station.

Maiyegun, who was presently out of town to Delta State, said he mobilized Amotekun and other security agencies to the scene immediately to forestall break down of law and order.

He enjoined the residents not to take the law into their hands.

It took the prompt intervention of the Police Commissioner, Mr. Oyediran, who had arrived in the town before 8:00 am yesterday, Amotekun Corps, and other security agencies, to calm the frayed nerves and appeal to the angry youths for peace.

But the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Funmilayo Odunlami, dispelled the report against the police, saying the deceased flouted the traffic law and incidentally had an accident.

“It was not due to the recklessness of the police officers, they took one way and they had an accident. So there was no way the police can be reckless in a situation whereby there is a route to take and they took another one.

“Of course, it was an oncoming vehicle that they collided with and died, it was not police recklessness there,” she said.

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The Chairman of Odigbo Council, Mrs. Margaret Akinsuroju, said “Immediately I heard it yesterday, I started mobilizing police so that they could maintain peace so that there would not be the breakdown of peace and orderliness.

” I heard the information that they were planning to burn the police station.

They went there and heard that the family had dropped the three corpses at the police station.

We pleaded with them that an accident had happened and it has happened.”

Akinsuroju, however, noted that there were two versions of the incident as the police narrated that they were killed by a hit-and-run driver and they tried to pursue it.

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According to her, the police on duty could not arrest the reckless driver and got back to the scene only to see angry mobs, who were trying to blame it on them and lynch them, but they escaped.

“Other people were saying they mounted a checkpoint and it led directly to their death. The tension was so high, having counseled them and appealed to them, I left the place.”

She added that “Along the line, I heard they were holding the police to ransom again, that they shouldn’t move an inch and even attacked the CP. Somebody said they threw something on him.

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But the CP said he was able to calm them down despite the odds and the place is quiet now.

“I have to call the leader of the community now, he said he was in Delta State.

The advice I will give to our people now is that if this kind of thing happens, and a life is lost, l should not allow it to double to become five, six, seven.

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“What if the police react? The police will not wait for them to attack them now? The police will want to defend themselves. I advised them to listen to the policemen and take heart.

The CP really tried and was able to manage the multitude.”

The council boss said the angry youths and bereaved families had given peace a chance, while the corpses had been removed from the station to be buried by their relatives.